Trawling apparatus



J. J. ANDERSON.

TRAWUNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1920.

1,381,265 tenfied Jun 14, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Y ATTORNEYS.

J. J. ANDERSQN. ,TRAWLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 12. 1920.

1,381,265. 4 Patented June 14, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5%%v@%% ATTORNEYS.

1.]. ANDERSON.

TRAWUNG APPARATUS.

APPUCATION nuzu FEB. 12, 1920 Patented June 14,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

mi QMQZW ATTORNEYS.

,UNITED STATES JOHN J. ANDERSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TRAWLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921.

Application filed February 12, 1920. Serial No. 358,194.

To all whom 2'25 may concern Belt known that 1, JOHN J. ANDERSON, a citizen of'the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trawling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

At present the practice in the carrying out of a trawling operation is to utilize either two steam tugs or two motor boats, each of which is connected by a line to the opposite end of a trawling net, and it is by the employment of these steam tugs or motor boats that the trawling operation is carried out or performed. By reason of the employment of two steam tugs or two motor boats the trawling operation is rendered somewhat expensive and which expense is increased by reason of the crew employed on one of the boats, and which boat under the present i vention is unnecessary to the trawling operation, and it is one of the es sentail objects of the present invention to eliminate one of the steam tugs or motor boats and the crew required for the operation thereof, so that by so doing the expense incident to trawlingis materially reduced.

The present invention has for its principal objects to provide a buoyant structure in the form of a trawling board adapted for supporting opposite ends of the net when the same is at a point of rest, and provided with means whereby the angle of travel of the board as drawn through the water may be controlled insuring the proper spreading of the net in rear of the trawler.

A further object is to provide a construc tion having a rudder capable of remaining in set position to control the direction of travel of the board through the water when but a short line is extended from the trawler to the board.

A further object is to provide a means whereby the net is caused to submerge deeply into the water when it is desired to trawl at greatdepths.

lVith the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims heretoappended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention,

reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a view in diagrammatic plan of my preferred form of invention.

1g. 2 is a. view in perspective of one of the trawling boards.

is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the trawling-boards, illustrating in dotted lines the frame advanced toward the bow end thereof, changing the angle of travel of the board through the water.

Fig. 4: is a view in perspective of the depth controlling means.

Referring more-particularly to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts, the numeral 1 indicates any suitable form of steam or power operated trawling apparatus provided with a main mast 2 and a pair of capable of swinging laterally of booms o the trawler at opposite sides thereof, the booms and mast being held by suitable guys Passing over sheaves 5, adjacent the forward end and at opposite sides of the trawler 1, are the trawling lines 6 secured to the trawler, preferably around members 7 and beneaththe booms -23 and slightly in rear thereof, passing through guide loops or rings 8 carried by guide lines 9. At points opposite the stem of the trawler the lines 6 preferably pass through the stem guide rings 10, at the outer or free ends of adjustable stein guide lines 11.

Transversely in rear of the trawler 1 is preferably positioned a net 12, preferably of the trawling type, and from the opposite ends thereof extend suitable lines 13. The free ends of the lines 13 are attached to swivels 14; pivotally connected as at 15 to a slidingrunner 16 mounted on a net mounting clevis'or frame 17 pivoted to the stem of the keel 18 of a trawling board or member 19 to swing on a horizontal axis 20' in the form of a bolt passing through protecting plates 20, one on each side of the member 18, and to extend around the stern or rear end of said board 19. The olevis 17 has a rounded or curved portion 17 and is capable of swinging on its pivot 20 in any suitable position in rear of the body19.

Each trawling board or body 19 is preferably elongated and of ship formation in miniature form, it being provided with the hull 21 and the usual keel 18, to the bottom of which is secured the weighted member 22,

; extending upwardly relatively to the bow of the keel, as at 23, but said keel is not of a weight sufiicient to prevent the board floating to the surface when connected to a net, as hereinafter described, and when the same is at a point of rest. A rudder 24 is positioned at the stern of the board 19 and swings on a post 25. The rudder is adapted to be moved into and held in set position by suitable flexible members or chains 26 extending from opposite sides thereof, and passing over the stern of the board 19 in grooves or channels 27. A suitable clamp or lever 28 pivotally mounted to a plate 29 resting on the hull or body 21 and beneath which the chains 26 pass, is adapted for holding the rudder in its set position. The rudder attachment is used mainly when the trawling board or body is held by a short line close to the stern of the trawler 1 to control or guide the board outwardly to prevent the same from becoming fouled in the propeller of the trawler 1.

The preferred manner of connecting the rear ends of the lines 6 with the trawling board or body 19 to draw the same through the water and to maintain the same at the desired angle to cause a spreading of the net 1.2 during the trawling operation, I prefer to use a suitable V-shaped frame 30 to the forward end of which, through an eye 31, is connected the rear or terminal end of the line 6, and said frame at its terminal end is connected by eye-bolts 32 with one side of the trawling board or body 19 to swing on a vertical fulcrum. As in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the eye-bolts 32 pass through suitable transverse slots or openings 33 in the forward or bowed end of the trawling board or body 19, which register with corresponding openings in the metallic protecting plates 32 located one on each side of the member 18, and the position or location of the eye-bolts 32 with respect to the vertical center of the trawling board or body 19 controls the angle or degree of spread of the net 12, as indicated in full and dotted lines- Fi 3 of the drawings.

l t will be apparent that the positioning of the eye-bolts 32 at points adjacent the vertical center of the board or body 19 exposes a greater portion of the keel in advance of the fulcrum point of connection of the lines to the action of the water, thus causing a greater divergence outwardly of the trawling board or body than would take place if the fulcrum connections were adjacent the bow thereof.

When it is desired to trawl at a considerable depth a diving board or member 34 is positioned within each line 13 intermediate of the end of the net and its associated board or member 19. The diving members 34 each comprise suitable interconnected horizontal fins 35 and vertical fins 36 tapering in width toward the rear end thereof, and adjacent the forward end the diving member is providedwith a pivoted loop 37 which is connected with the portion of the line 13 extending from the member 19 and at a point below the horizontal fins 35, and at the rear of the diving member 34 is mounted a horizontally swinging loop 38 to which the portion of the line 13 extending from the net is connected. Thus it will be apparent that when the diving member is drawn through the water in the direction of the arrow- Fig. 4 of the drawings, the upward pull on the line 13 will cause a raising of the rear end of said member 34, and the horizontal fins 35 will direct the same downwardly in 5 the water.

In operation, the members 19 are preferably held at opposite sides of the stern of the trawler 1 by relatively long trawling lines 6, Fig. 1 of the drawings, and due to the point of connection of the frames 30 with the members 19, the spread of the net 12 is controlled. When it is desired to move from one fishing ground to another at a fairly high rate of speed, it is only necessary to shorten the lines 6, bringing the net and members 19 to a position approximately that illustrated in dotted linesFig. 1 of the drawings, at which time the rudders 24 cause the members 19 to travel outwardly from the trawler and prevent the net from becoming fouled in the propeller thereof.

A suitable buffer 40 may be positioned at the bow of the trawling board and held thereto by a tie 41 extending around the member 21. V V I Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is l. A trawling apparatus comprising in combination with a drawing member, a net,

a buoyant trawling board or member connected with the same adjacent to its opposite ends of suflicient buoyancy to rise to the surface on the net arriving at a point of rest, a line extended from the drawing member and for connection with said trawling boards or members adjacent their forward ends, and means for adjusting longitudinally of the boards or members the point of connection of said line with said boards or members to vary their path of travel through the water when drawn by said drawing member.

2. A trawling apparatus comprising in combination with a drawing member, a net disposed to extend transversely thereof in rear of its direction of travel through the water, a buoyant trawling board or member connected with each end of the same and of sufficient buoyancy to rise to the surface on the net arriving at a point of rest, lines extended rearwardly from the drawing member, a frame associated with each trawling board or member and with each of which one of the lines is attached, and a pivotal connection between the frames and their respective trawling boards or members whereby pivotal movement on a vertical axis be tween the frames and boards or members is permitted, and means whereby the point of pivotal connection between the frames and boards may be adjusted longitudinally of said boards.

3. A trawling apparatus comprising in combination with a drawing member, a net disposed to extend transversely thereof in rear of its direction of travel through the water, a. pair of buoyant trawling boards or members of sufiicient buoyancy to rise to the surface on the net arriving at a point of rest, a connection between the ends of said net and the rear end of each of said trawling boards or members, and a pair of lines extended from said drawing member and one connected with one side of each trawling board or member adjacent its forward end whereby said trawling boards or members are caused to diverge and spread the net in rear-of the drawing member on being drawn through the water.

4. A trawling apparatus comprising in combination with a drawing member, a net disposed to extend transversely thereof in rear of its direction of travel through the water, a pair of elongated buoyant trawling boards or members one attached at its rear end to each end of the net and of sufiicient buoyancy to float on the surface at the net arriving at a point of rest, a rudder at the rear of each board or member, means for maintaining said rudders in a set position, a frame associated with one side of each board or member adjacent its forward end, means for connecting the frames to swing on a vertical fulcrum relative to the respective boards or members, said means being adjustable longitudinally of the respective boards or members, and a line connected with the free end of each frame and with the drawing member.

5. A trawling board or member comprising an elongated structure of buoyant material provided with a hull and a keel depending therefrom, a net attaching ring connected to the rear thereof and adapted to swing 011 a horizontal fulcrum, a rudder at the rear of said structure and mounted to swing on a vertical fulcrum within said ring, means for retaining the rudder in its set position, and a line attaching frame pivotally connected to one side of said board or member adjacent its low end to swing on a vertical axis.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN J. ANDERSON. 

